Garment-supporter.



No. 689,534. Patented Dec. 24; 1am.

J. J. BLOOM &- A. W. MENSUR.

GARMENT 'SUPPOBTEB.

(Application filed Aug. 92, 1901.)

(no model) WITNESSES 1N VENTORJT 1n: Noam PETERS co. woraumou WASHINGTON, n. a.

UNITED STATES FFICE.

PATENT JOHN J. BLOOM AND ABRAHAM WV. MENSOR, OF SEATTLE, \VASIIINGTON.

GARMENT-SUPPQRTER.

SPEGIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,534, dated December 24, 1901.

Application filed August 22, 1901. Serial No. 72,898. (No model.)

T to whom, it may concern;

Be it known that we, JOHN J. BLOOM an ABRAHAM W. MENsoR, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Seattle,

in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment- Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in garment-supporters, and has special reference to a device of this class adapted to act in combination with suspenders to hold the trousers in place or to support drawers or like articles of wearing-apparel.

Among numerous objects attained by this invention and readily understood from the following specification and accompanying drawings, included as a part thereof, is a convenient and durable substit-itnte for suspender-buttons, incorporating essential features of simplicity and adaptability which facilitate the connecting and disconnecting of suspenders and insures a firm and substantial hold on the garment, means whereby the weight of the garment is made to firmly apply the jaws of the supporter, and preferred structural features incidentally developed in accomplishing the objects.

With reference to the drawings filed herewith and bearing like reference characters for corresponding parts throughout, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved garment supporter with the parts thereof in relative position as applied to a garment for the support thereof. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the supporter with the parts in relative position as adjusted to place or remove the supporter, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the jaws of the clamp on the pivotal connection.

This invention embodies a suitable clamp comprising oppositely-disposed substantially rectangular jaws, as 3 and 4, which are preferably made of plate metal of considerable width and are conveniently connected in operable relations for clamping by means of a suitable pivotal connection, which as now considered comprises suitable laterally-disposed lugs, as 5 and 6, formed on opposite edges of respective jaws substantially midway the length of their stem portions in correlative position to receive suitable pivots, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The jaws of the above clamp are conveniently made to act by means of a suitable operable clamping device conveniently mounted thereon, so as to cause the gripping-surfaces of jaws 3 and 4 to positively and forcibly approach each other for gripping the desired article, and this device is suitably operably connected to the Suspender or like strap and with said jaws, so as to insure positive hold of the jaws of the clamp on said article of apparel by weight of the article itself and to insure more positive and firmer gripping action of said jaws the greater the strain brought to bear between the garment and suspending device. As now considered this jaw-operating device comprehends Wedging action and is rendered operably revoluble and comprises a substantially elliptical shaped can], as 8, conveniently loosely positioned between the stems of jaws3 and at above the pivotal connection thereof and is retained in position by a laterally-projected head 9, formed on the upper end of the stem of jaw 3. This cam consists of a suitable bar of the desired shape in cross-section and of sufficient length to pass entirely across the faces of respective stems of the jaws, and fixed to the opposite ends thereof is a suitable lever 7, disposed in prolongation of the minor diameter and conveniently consisting of a suitable hook, with the shank bifurcated to embrace said bar longitudinally. The major diameter of this revoluble cam is sufficient to cause the jaws to come into close clamping relations when the cam is operated for clamping and of sufficient size on the minor diameter to allow said jaws to be separated to release the article or to place same by reversing the position of the cam by partial rotation.

In ordinary use the lever 7 stands slightly out of alinement with the jaws after the Wedge has been applied primarily to cause the jaws of the clamp to grip the desired article, and consequently should extra strain be brought to separate said article or garment from the suspenders the lever is thereby caused to'adj ust the cam to force the jaws to embrace the article more firmly, and thereby prevent-its detachment; also, it will be seen that the weight of a suspended article serves to operate the cam to cause the jaws of the clamp to grip more firmly, granting a primary setting of the lever 7 slightly out of alinement with the jaws.

The application and removal of this clamp can be readily understood from the foregoing, and the general form of the parts will'be discerned therefrom, taken in connection with the figures of the drawings, but its operation, briefly stated, is as follows: The jaws 3 and 4 are normally apart, as shown in Fig. 1. The garment to be supported is then placed in the jaws, and the lever 7 is moved from a substantially right-angled position to the position shown in Fig. 2, the cam 8 having been moved so as to force the upper ends of the jawS apart, and consequently the lower ends together to engage the garment tightly. The hook of the lever is then applied to the proper place, so as tosupport the entirety. When it is desired to release the device, it, is simply necessary to press the lever so that it assumes the position shown in Fig. 1, when the jaws are released and hang free.

It will be understood that the combined lever and cam action comprehended to operate the jaws affords a clamp of powerful gripping action which is simple of construction and durable in use.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Agarment-supportercomprisingaclamp composed of a pair of jaws connected. in clamping relations, a substantially elliptical shaped cam loosely mounted between said jaws adjacent the free ends of the stems, means to retain said cam in mounted position, and a hooked lever havinga bifurcated stem attached by the ends to said cam.

2, Agarment-supporter,comprisingaclamp composed of a pair of plateqnetal jaws substantially rectangular and pivotally connected together substantially midway the length of the stems, one of said jaws having a a a y-p je t ng p rt on ispos inwardly from the free end of the stem, a cam sp se o ly be en sa d jaw-st ms a mp g a substant al y ell ptical shape rod equal in length to the'width of the stems and a o ha ng the, s em. b furcat an fixed at the ends to the ends of said rod in prolongation of its minor diameter.

Signed at Seattle, \Yashington, this 12th day of August, 1901.

JOHN J. BLOOM. ABRAHAM WV, MENSOR. Witnesses:

O. A. MCKENZIE, FRANK E. ADA S, 

